Dont follow the herd mentality.Please know your issues before you make any comments.Hamas is a terrorist organisation who have been firing rockets into southern Israel.They instigated it first and rightly should be punished.Instead of using money donated to the Palestinian cause for schools, and infrastructure, they choose to use the money to buy rockets and ammumnition to fire rockets into Israel.As a sovereign state, Israel has every right to defend themselves. So Blame it on Hamas and not the Israelites.

Is the recent genocide taking place in Gaza related to OIL again? We know that the Iraq war had a lot to do with oil and war profiteering by the Americans.

After oil prices had gone down to USD40+ a barrel in recent times, isn't it convenient that there is a sudden renewal of conflict in the Middle East again? Isn't it suspicious that the price of oil has shot up to USD50+ a barrel just these past few days? Anil Netto has posted an interesting graph on rocket fire trends his blog, check it out.

For all the conspiracy theorists, is there really a cartel of powerful business people running the world's economy, who will do anything for a quick buck? Greedy tycoons who don't mind bathing in blood money?

You know, if Bernard Madoff can run his ponzi scheme for years and cheat investors out of USD50 billion, then I guess anything is possible.

Let's see how much the price of oil is once a truce is called between Israel and Palestine. Wanna bet that the price will be around USD100 per barrel?

From financial scandals to high oil prices to war profiteering, I see a common link - don't you?

SPEAK UP MALAYSIA:STOP HARMINGINNOCENT CIVILIANSFOR PROFIT

“If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed and if we are not willing to change, we will disappear from the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect.” - Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Certainly Israel's response is disproportionate and should be condemned in the strongest terms. But it is the stupidity of Hamas in instigating a much more powerful adversary who should primarily be blamed. Where was Utusan's outrage at the Darfur genocide or at the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Why don't they show the same outrage when the perpetrators are Muslims ?

Grow up and move away from the Malaysian mindset of racisim and religious bigotry. Chun Wai is right, it's cruel. If you happen to have a child, just visualise one of the faces as that of your child, then you will know how real the war is.

unfortunately as long as people are aligned by race and religion this type of cruelty would continue to haunt humankind.It's time to value human above the rest. Regardless of ones religion let us accept all as our brothers and sisters.

First things first. It was Hamas who provoked Israel into invading Gaza. This has given Israel the pretext to finish off Hamas. But it's sad Israel had to respond disproportionately by killing innocent civilians. Both sides claim the moral high ground to justify their actions. It's up to us to judge them. Be that as it may, madness or no, there is nothing Malaysia can do about it except to sit down and enjoy the daily spectacle being played out in CNN, BBC and Aljazeera. In the meantime, it's business as usual for Malaysians, like wolfing down laksa, char koay teow, nasi kangkang 36 hours a day. By the way, a mamak joint in my area has been doing roaring business for the past week as customers are glued to the happenings in Gaza. These mamaks sure know to make a killing.

When the Palestinians voted for Hamas, they voted for Hamas platform of "Death and Destruction to Israel". They were in effect egging on the Hamas to pick a fight with Israel. So Hamas kept shooting rockets into Israel. They now got what they voted for. Yes it is a sad day for the Palestinian civilians, who are dying and wasting away in Gaza. Hamas should have been more responsible for their actions. Why do they insist on provoking a powerful enemy?

Why pick out only the Jews as a source of cruelty? Isn't sitting off bombs in hotels and aeroplanes to kill civilians also cruel? Isn't shooting hotel guests in Mumbai also cruel? Isn't setting of bombs in Bali also cruel? Isn't shooting monks in southern Thailand also cruel? There are a lot of cruel things going on today. There is a lot of double standard going on in our Malaysian press.

Utusan is the greatest hypocrite of them all. Did they make any noise when Mumbai was attacked. Why were they silent about the Darfur massacres. Utusan is a rabid racist paper which preys on innocent minds to divide the people and preach Malay superiority. Chung Wai, by displaying Utusan's front-page, you are tacitly supporting their racist policies. I hope I am wrong.

I really take offence when clear thinking Malaysians condone the atrocities committed by Israel just because it is being highlighted by Utusan Malaysia.Or is it because it is mainly "Muslim" lives that were lost and not "Christians". Where does religion figure in all this? I'm not being pedantic if I have to remind people like Whatmeworry that most Israelis aren't even Christians but I digress. The main issue here is such cruelty being perpetrated today against helpless civilians, innocent women and children. Don't you have a conscience. How do you sleep nights knowing that such inhumane acts are being carried out.The Palestinian issue is a complicated one for sure, but put yourself in the shoes of a Palestinian for once. How would you feel if your homeland has been taken away from you and that you have to be subjected to all the atrocities by the very people who have forcibly done this to you and you don't have the ability to do anything about it because you are weak and poor. Please give that a thought before you pass judgement on the actions of the Palestinians.

Hamas is to be blamed for "inviting" the Israelis into Gaza. They knew that Israel will retaliate, but they kept on instigating the Israelis. Maybe they were trying to divert attention away from publicity on corruption and failings in the civil administration. Maybe they wanted to show the Palestinians that Hamas was more macho than Fatah. Maye they wanted to show their secret donors that they were really putting to "good use" the weapons supplied to them. But they miscalculated badly on the ferocious retaliation. They must have thought Israel will send just one or two drones to shoot one or two targets, or maybe just catch one or two "martyrs" and level one or two buildings, which will then be used by Hamas to rouse Gazans and donors for more support. It is almost like the Georgian provocation of Russia. Say what you like, and side who you like, but it makes no difference. Just don't put your head into a lion's mouth and then prick the lion with a nail. Obviously your head is going to come off, even if you wish to accuse the lion of being excessive in his response.

In this recessionary times go ahead and listen to a senile. Stop using computers and airplanes too. Show your solidarity. Sail a sampan to your destination. All Malaysian attempts are futile. Your contribution to the US economy is less than a drop in the bucket.Just think, if the US banned your products.. I dare not think. In the meanwhile focus on the innocent detainees jailed under ISA. Stop being hypocrites.Utusan who?

About Me

Wong Chun Wai, 48, is the Group Chief Editor of The Star newspaper in Malaysia. Wong writes a weekly column "On The Beat" in The Sunday Star. He regards himself as a newcomer to the New Media and believes it can co-exist with the mainstream. The views expressed in Wong's blog are entirely his and do not represent that of his newspaper. More on Wong, click here.